The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia has announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of the brand new musical, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, which runs at The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre from 7 June to 9 July 2023.
Based on the critically acclaimed and best-selling novel by Sara Gruen, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS takes audiences on an adventure filled with romance, deception, and a little bit of magic, all under the big top of a traveling circus.
The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS includes: Stan Brown as Camel, Joe De Paul as Walter, Bryan Fenkart (Waitress) as August, Sara Gettelfinger (A Free Man of Color, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Barbara, Tony Award nominee Harry Groener (Crazy for You, Spamalot) as Mr. Jankowski, Isabelle McCalla (The Prom, Aladdin) as Marlena, Wade McCollum (Wicked, My Fair Lady) as Wade, and Ryan Vasquez (Hamilton, The Wrong Man) as Jacob.
The ensemble includes Brandon Block, Antoine Boissereau, Paul Castree, Taylor Colleton, Isabella Luisa Diaz, Gabrielle Elisabeth, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, Nicolas Jelmoni, Caroline Kane, Joel Malkoff, Michael Mendez, Jo’Nathan Michael, Gabriel Olivera De Paula Costa, Samuel Renaud, Marissa Rosen, Alexandra Gaelle Royer, Sean Stack, Matthew Varvar, and Michelle West.
Running towards a new life, Jacob Jankowski hitches a ride on a mysterious train. He finds himself in the heart of a traveling circus, the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show On Earth, with a new job, a new home, and a new family. When charismatic ringmaster August brings Rosie the elephant on as the new star attraction, Jacob and August’s wife Marlena join forces to train her. As Jacob and Marlena’s shared compassion develops into love, August’s cruel nature surfaces, threatening to derail Jacob’s life once more.
The WATER FOR ELEPHANTS creative team is led by Director Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo). The musical’s book is by three-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys), with music & lyrics by the groundbreaking theatre-makers, PigPen Theatre Co. (The Tale of Despereaux).
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS will feature circus design by Shana Carroll (Cirque du Soleil Paramour), choreography by Jesse Robb (Miss Saigon) and Shana Carroll, scenic design by Takeshi Kata (Clyde’s), costume design by David Israel Reynoso (Sleep No More), lighting design by Tony Award winner Bradley King (Flying Over Sunset, Hadestown, Fat Ham), sound design by Tony Award winner Jessica Paz (A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Hadestown), projections by David Bengali (1776, Beetlejuice), puppetry design by Camille Labarre (Into the Woods), rigging design by Danny Zen, music supervision and arrangements by Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Some Like It Hot, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Prom) and Benedict Braxton-Smith (Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls), music direction by Matt Hinkley (Bandstand), orchestrations by Daryl Waters (Memphis), associate direction by Ryan Emmons (Kimberly Akimbo), production stage management by Timothy R. Semon (Company) and casting in association with Tara Rubin Casting.
